Although research suggests various effective interventions to curb obesity, there remains a gap between current evidence and sustainable practice in schools and communities. School settings present a logical platform for this work, since children spend much of their time in school. This article describes the Building Healthy Schools Program, a…

This article summarizes a comprehensive, systems-oriented framework designed to improve the use of a wide variety of evidence sources to address population-wide obesity problems. The L.E.A.D. framework (for "Locate" the evidence, "Evaluate" the evidence, "Assemble" the evidence, and inform "Decisions"),…

The dominant metabolic theory of obesity is that it develops from excessive positive energy balance. However, preventive interventions based on this theory have often been ineffective. This article proffers a developmental theory, which is based on recent epidemiologic research and a new line of research dealing with differentiation of immature…

There is increasing evidence that parenting and feeding interact to influence children's eating behaviour and weight status. Interpretation of existing research is complicated by the lack of consensus in the conceptualisation and measurement of both "parenting" and "feeding", particularly the distinction between "styles", "dimensions" and…

Effective school-based obesity prevention programs are needed to prevent and reduce the growing obesity risk among youth. Utilizing the evidence-rich areas of violence and substance use prevention, translation science may provide an efficient means for developing curricula across multiple health behaviors. This paper introduces Pathways to Health,…

Food addiction among children is a concerning issue. Few empirical studies have examined the relevance of food addiction among pediatric samples, but emerging evidence suggests that some children experience their eating patterns as addictive. The present review will discuss the issue of food addiction among children, and will also attend to the…

The 1991 paper, "Physical Education's Role in Public Health" described the importance of physical education in addressing public health problems. On its 20th anniversary, this article reviews accomplishments in improving the health impact of physical education and identifies areas lacking progress. Major accomplishments include development of…

Aggressive and destructive behaviors are an ongoing challenge for many children, adolescents, and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). What's behind these high-risk behaviors, and how can professionals help manage them? Discover the answers in this comprehensive text, the most up-to-date compendium of knowledge on…

School counselors are charged with helping students in the personal/social, academic, and career development domains. Obesity creates adverse educational outcomes for students along these three domains, suggesting an obesity achievement gap. Thus, school counselors can benefit from knowing which interventions have been shown to be successful in…